PUTRAJAYA, July 23 – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he has directed the Health Ministry and related agencies to come up with a comprehensive and inclusive plan to resolve the issues faced by medical officers serving the government on contract basis.
For a start, the government today has agreed to extend the contract of all medical officers following the completion of their housemanship, the prime minister said in a statement today.
Muhyiddin said the plans for the medical officers will encompass immediate action, short and medium term plans as well as long term plans.
“As an immediate solution, the Cabinet has agreed that all medical officers, dental officer and pharmacists appointed on contract basis be offered a two-year contract appointment once they complete their housemanship to ensure the continuation of their service and preparation to take up their areas of specialisation.
“The Cabinet has also agreed to extend the appointment of medical officers and dental officers who are already on a two-year contract pursuing their specialisation studies for another maximum four-year contract period,” the prime minister said in a statement today.
The long outstanding issue of contract doctors, who have been losing out on specialisation opportunity, which requires 11 years of full employment, as well as better pay and other perks enjoyed by permanent doctors, recently gained much attention and sympathy from various factions especially in the prevailing COVID-19 scenario.
The contract doctors took to protest their predicament via a CODE BLACK campaign earlier this month, seeking fair and proper treatment from the government.
Seeking a revamp of the contract doctors and allied healthcare services for the sake of the healthcare ecosystem of Malaysia, the doctors called for:
* Clear and available career pathway / postgraduate pathway to specialisation for our contract doctors
* Detailed and transparent criteria for permanent posts
* Equal and fair treatment between contract and permanent staff
*Job security for all healthcare workers